Turkey's chicken meat output falls 16.3% in May as egg production hits a record

Turkish chicken meat output falls to 202,336 tons in May

Turkey's chicken meat production dropped sharply in May 2026, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) reported by outlets including Anadolu Agency, Sözcü and Ekonomi Gazetesi. Output fell to 202,336 tons, a 16.3% decline from the same month a year earlier and a 14.4% drop from April, when production stood at 236,310 tons.

The number of chickens slaughtered fell in parallel, down 16.8% year on year to 108,065,000 birds. Over the first five months of the year the picture was milder: January-May chicken meat production was down 2.2% and the number of birds slaughtered fell 1.1% against the same period of 2025, indicating that most of the contraction was concentrated in May itself.

Egg production climbs to a record

Table egg output moved in the opposite direction. Production rose 21.6% year on year and 0.7% from the previous month to 1,857,150,000 eggs, roughly 1.86 billion, according to TÜİK figures cited by Ekonomi Gazetesi and Sözcü. For the January-May period, egg production was up 18.1% against the same span of last year. The divergence between falling meat supply and record egg volumes points to a widening gap between the broiler and layer segments of Turkey's poultry industry.

Milk collection tops one million tons

TÜİK also reported dairy figures for May. Cow milk collected by commercial dairies rose 2.3% year on year and 2.8% from April to 1,022,587 tons, crossing the one-million-ton mark from 994,312 tons a month earlier, Haber24 reported. Over January-May, collection edged up 0.5%.

Drinking milk production reached 157,453 tons in May, a 19.7% jump year on year and 1.9% above April's 154,447 tons. Cow cheese output rose 2.4% and ayran and kefir 2%, while yogurt production slipped 1.2% and butter and ghee fell 12% from a year earlier.

What it means for buyers

The sharp monthly and annual contraction in broiler output tightens domestic chicken meat supply just as slaughter numbers retreat, a combination that typically supports wholesale prices. A 14.4% month-on-month fall is steep for a single period and, if sustained, would trim the exportable surplus Turkish processors ship to regional buyers. Importers tracking Turkish poultry, a significant supplier to Middle Eastern and neighbouring markets, will watch whether the May drop is a seasonal dip or the start of a longer downtrend. The record egg run, by contrast, signals ample supply and softer price pressure in that segment, while the move above one million tons in milk collection points to steady raw material availability for Turkish dairy processors.